Iraq

Iraqi forces reclaim around 30 per cent of west Mosul from Islamic State militants, according to a commander of the elite Counter Terrorism Service, as soldiers push further into the jihadists' territory.

Donald Trump's revised travel ban leaves Iraq off the list of targeted Muslim-majority countries and lets in green card holders. But Democrats say the "watered-down" ban will still face an uphill battle in the courts.

Five Iraqi children and two women are receiving treatment for exposure to chemical agents, the International Committee of the Red Cross says, in the first report of chemical weapons used in the battle for Mosul.

US-backed Iraqi army units take control of the last major road out of western Mosul that had been in Islamic State's hands, trapping the militants in a shrinking area within the city, a general and residents say.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop meets with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to discuss global security and how the two nations will prepare for foreign fighters attempting to return if Mosul is successfully liberated.

The battle to reclaim Mosul from Islamic State militants is unlikely to be over until at least the middle of the year, counter-insurgency expert David Kilcullen says, adding it will be even harder to prevent civilian deaths.

Amid the chaos and carnage of the battle for Mosul, Middle East correspondent Matt Brown came across a scene so sad he will never forget it: a little girl, dead from a head wound caused by shrapnel from a mortar that exploded near her home.

The battle for Mosul is street-by-street, with Islamic State suicide bombers and snipers a constant threat as the fighting rages. Correspondent Matt Brown and cameraman Aaron Hollett journeyed to the front line to experience the fighting firsthand.